Abstract
Sustainable flame retardants are crucial to address environmental concerns and meet the demands of high-performance materials. A novel bio-based flame retardant (ANDD) with multiple reactive groups was synthesized using a one-pot method. ANDD served as a co-curing agent for 4,4′-diaminodiphenylmethane (DDM) in the cross-linking of EP. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) revealed that ANDD accelerates the curing process of bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (DGEBA). Thermogravimetric analysis indicated that incorporating ANDD lowered the T5% and Tmax values of the EP/ANDD composites, while enhancing residual char at high temperatures due to its carbon-forming capability. The EP/ANDD composites exhibited improved flame retardancy, with a limiting oxygen index (LOI) of 33.6 % at a 5 wt% ANDD loading (P content of 0.372 %), achieving a V-0 rating in UL-94. Cone calorimetry showed that, compared to pure EP, EP/ANDD-5 reduced the peak heat release rate (pHRR) by 41.7 % and total smoke production (TSP) by 24.4 %, outperforming EP/DOPO with equivalent phosphorus content. This enhanced flame retardancy is attributed to the char layer’s protective role in the condensed phase and radical quenching in the gas phase. Additionally, EP/ANDD-3 demonstrated a 13.8 % increase in tensile strength and a 20.8 % increase in tensile modulus compared to pure EP. This study indicates that ANDD, as a bio-based flame retardant with multiple reactive groups, presents a promising pathway for the development of high-performance functional thermoset materials.
Published Version
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